Real Project Management – Beyond the Process

Typically, project management involves managing risks, scoping, planning and so on. And, as project managers, you’ll be minutely involved in different stages of the process. But sometimes, project managers forget to consider the most important factor of all – relationships. This is a very important part of project management, but you won’t get a lot of theory about it.

Listed here are a few human factors you need to consider along with actual processes for successful project management.

EQ Vs. IQ – Project management is not about how smart you are. It’s not even about creating a perfect project plan. It’s about understanding people, relating to them, negotiating with them – both with client and with your colleagues to get a successful outcome at the end of the day. So, remind yourself that it’s not about your brilliance but about how good a person you are with your colleagues and people you manage.

Life Skill Vs. Work Skill – Project Management actually is a life skill. You manage your day-to-day routine, along with all your responsibilities every day. So bring all that common sense to your work place.

Relationship Vs. Work – What is more important? I personally think it is relationships. Because, if you have good relationships, you can get good work done; if you don’t have good relationships at every stage, you will face obstacles and work will be slow.

Ask Vs. Demand - Do you ask somebody, if they can do something or do you just demand that it should be given to you? Always remember to ask and let the other person decide. Instead of giving responsibility, let the person take responsibility. So, some of these might seem intangibles but they can really affect the state of a project.

Consult Vs. Control – Do you control people or do you consult them to see how can get a good outcome? It’s better to consult than control. If you control, initially you might have some success, but later nobody will want to work with you.

Collaborate Vs. Drive - Similar point actually. Do you work together with people to arrive at successful outcomes or do you just drive everybody hard? Pushing others should be avoided. Though, there are both types in the real world, I would recommend you go with the collaborative path rather than the driving path. However, there are times when you have to totally take control. So, you need to identify those situations.

These are some of the things that you should think about. Project management is a discipline of planning, organizing, securing and managing resources i.e., people and infrastructure, and all those things to bring about successful completion of specific project goals and objectives.

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